Club Nacional de Football

Nacional

Full name	Club Nacional de Football
Nickname(s)	Tricolores, Bolso, Bolsilludo, Albos, La Blanca
Founded	May 14, 1899
Ground	Parque Central (Capacity: 22,000)
Chairman	Ricardo Alarcón
Manager	Eduardo Acevedo
League	Primera División
2009-10	Primera División Uruguaya, 2nd
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club, based in Montevideo and founded on May 14, 1899. Three-time winner of the Copa Libertadores, three-time winner of the Intercontinental Cup.

The club is the result of an alliance between the Uruguay Athletic and Montevideo Football Club. Nacional plays in the Uruguayan First Division. Nacional engages in several sports, but football is by far the most important, a sport in which it has won worldwide recognition.

Overview

Uniform

Nacional's home kit is a white jersey, with blue shorts and socks (although it is also common for them to wear an all white strip). The away jersey is red, which is used both with blue or white shorts and socks. The third kit is a blue jersey with blue shorts and white socks. The colours of the uniform were amalgamated from the merged clubs,the red was taken from Montevideo Football Club,blue from Uruguay Athletic (original colours) and later the adding of white from club Defensa

Kit Evolution

Home Kit Evolution

1899-1901

1902-...

Special

Away Kit Evolution

1902-1994

Team B 1908

1995-1997

1998

1999

2000-2001

2002-...

Stadium

Nacional plays most home games at its own stadium, the 20,000 capacity Gran Parque Central (soon to be 30,000), built in 1900. However, in the past decades that stadium was not used very often because Nacional played at the national stadium Estadio Centenario, sharing it with Peñarol. High-risk matches and derbies are still played at the Centenario. In 2005,n the renovation of Parque Central allowed Nacional to play home matches there more often.

Nacional's stadium, Parque Central, is famous because in the place where the Parque Central is located was named "Quinta de la Paraguaya" a historic place in Uruguay.

Nicknames

Nacional is nicknamed “tricolores” (“three colours”), and “bolsilludos”, later shortened to “bolsos” (“bolsillo” being the Spanish word for pocket - Nacional used to play with a jersey that had a pocket on the chest). “La blanca” (The white) is less common also called the albos.

Official affiliations

Nacional has recentrly increased its number of members setting a new record of 29,564, and it is expected to reach the 30,000 members by the end of March 2010.

Record Players

• Most appearances: Emilio Álvarez (511 matches played)
• Most years with the club: Héctor Scarone (21 years, from 1917 to 1939)
• All-time greatest goalscorer: Atilio García (465 goals)
• Longest time without conceding a goal: Gustavo Munúa (963 minutes)

Titles

Official domestic honours (56)

• Uruguayan Primera División (42)
  • Amateur Era (11): 1902, 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1924.
  • Professional Era (31): 1933, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1963, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1983, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2005-06, 2008-09.

Other official domestic honours (77)

• Copa Competencia (8): 1903, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1919, 1921, 1923
• Copa de Honor (7): 1905, 1906, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917
• Torneo de Honor (17): 1935, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1946, 1948, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959 (shared), 1960 (shared), 1961, 1962 (shared), 1963
• Torneo Competencia (13): 1934, 1942 (shared), 1945, 1948, 1952, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 (shared), 1967 (shared), 1989
• Torneo Cuadrangular (8): 1952, 1954, 1955 (Shared), 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967
• Torneo Apertura (8): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008–09
• Torneo Clausura (5): 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2006
• Liguilla (8): 1982, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2007, 2008
• Liga Mayor (3): 1975, 1976, 1977
• Campeonato Nacional General Artigas (2): 1961, 1962
• Torneo Fermín Garicoits (1): 1965
• Torneo Ciudad de Montevideo (1): 1973
• Torneo 50º Aniversario de Colombes (1): 1974
• Torneo Campeones Olímpicos (1): 1974
• Campeonato Estadio Centenario (1): 1983

Performance in international competitions

Official international honours (9)

• Copa Libertadores de América (3): 1971, 1980, 1988. Nacional is the team with largest number of games played (307)
• Intercontinental Cup (3): 1971, 1980, 1988
• Copa Interamericana (2): 1971 (played in 1972), 1988 (played in 1989)
• Recopa Sudamericana (1): 1989

Other official international honours (13)

• Copa Aldao (Copa Río de la Plata) (6): 1916, 1919, 1920, 1940, 1942, 1946
• Copa de Honor Cousenier (4): 1905, 1915, 1916, 1917
• Cup Tie Competition (2): 1913, 1915
• Copa de Confraternidad Escobar - Gerona (1): 1945^[1]

Friendly international honours (51)

America

• Copa Confraternidad Rioplatense: 1902, 1903, 1908, 1909, 1913, 1917
• Campeonato Río de la Plata: 1903 (1er triunfo de Uruguay representado por Nacional)
• Copa Campeones del Plata: 1904, 1922
• Copa Albion: 1907
• Copa Rosario-Montevideo: 1909
• Copa Intendencias Municipales del Plata: 1919
• Copa Uruguay-Paraguay: 1924
• Copa Montevideo-Avellaneda: 1927, 1928
• Copa Ciudad de La Plata: 1928, 1971
• Copa Embajada de España: 1928
• Copa Amistad Nacional-Boca: 1929
• Copa Embajada de Perú: 1929
• Copa del Atlántico: 1947
• Copa Ciudad de Montevideo Internacional: 1953, 1969, 1970, 1978
• Campeonato Nocturno Rioplatense: 1938
• C. C. Grandes del Río de la Plata: 1938
• Copa Ciudad de Rosario: 1938
• Torneo cuadrangular en Santiago de Chile: 1951
• Torneo Internacional de El Salvador: 1964
• Copa Triangular Internacional: 1970
• Trofeo 2º Carnaval del Fútbol de México: 1971
• Copa Colosos del Fútbol: 1976
• Copa Ciudad de Montevideo: 1984, 1986
• Copa Bayer: 1985
• Copa Mar del Plata: 1989
• Copa Mar del Plata: 1998
• Copa Conrad de Punta del Este: 2005
• Copa Ricard: 2006, 2008
• Copa Suat: 2008

Europe

• Copa Teresa Herrera (La Coruña): 1958
• Pentagonal Internacional: 1959
• IV Torneo Ciudad de León (España): 1977
• Trofeo Ciudad de Albacete: 1987
• Trofeo Costa del Sol: 1972, 2006

Asia

• Copa Corea del Sur: 1989
• Copa China: 1996

Youth Tournaments

• 2 Copa Santiago de Futebol Juvenil titles: 1989, 1994
• 3 PUNTA CUP Juvenil titles: 2006, 2008 and 2009
• Clarkson Friendship Cup ^[2]: 2009

Nacional main achievements

Contribution to Uruguay national team

In 1903, Uruguay, fully represented by Nacional's team members (due to the refusal of CURCC,an extinct British football team whose Uruguayan players left to found the club now called Peñarol)^[3] after CURCC's dissolution, beat Argentina 3-2, winning the first international match ever (of national teams) in the history of Uruguayan football (the first club match ever was won by Albion over Argentine team Retiro 3-1 in 1896 in Buenos Aires).

In 1924, Nacional was the club that contributed more players to the Uruguayan team that won the Olympic gold medal in football of that year. The same thing happened with the Uruguayan teams of 1928 and 1930, Olympic and world champions respectively, in which Nacional contributed the majority of players. As a matter of fact, Nacional is the only Uruguayan club that contributed players to every Uruguayan national team that won international tournaments.^[4]

Below, the list of Nacional players that were part of Uruguay's Olympic and world champions teams.

Local Honours

• Nacional won a total of 42 Uruguayan championships

• Nacional won the most Uruguayan championships in the Amateur Era, with a total of 11 league titles

• The club's first championship was won in 1902

• In the Amateur years, Nacional won the Uruguayan championship three times in a row on two occasions: 1915-16-17 and 1922-23-24

• In the Professional Era, Nacional has won 31 Uruguayan championships

• Between 1939 and 1943, the club won five championships in a row, the first Quinquenio in the history of football in the country. Of the five championships won consecutively, the 1941 triumph is the most remembered by Nacional fans, the team won all twenty matches played (this achievement remains unequa]led)

• Between 1955 and 1957, Nacional won the championship three times in a row for the third time

• Between 1969 and 1972, Nacional won the championship four times in a row for the first time

• Between 2000 and 2002, Nacional won the championship three times in a row for the fourth time

• In 2005/06, Nacional won its most recent league title, repeating the championships won in 2005

• Regarding the classic matches against arch-rivals Peñarol, (only comparable to the Old Firm in Scotland), Nacional historically lead the head to head encounters, although is not leading today

• Nacional has the record of being unbeaten in 16 derby matches (between 1971 and 1974) and also holds the record of winning ten in a row (between 1939 and 1942)

• The biggest ever victory in the Nacional - Peñarol derby: 6-0 14 December 1941

• The leading Derby goalscorer is a Nacional player; the Argentinian Atilio García, with 34 goals

• In the Uruguayan Championship, Nacional won 5 classic finals (specially remembered is the one played for the 1934 Uruguayan championship, in which Nacional won the title with 9 players and Peñarol had 11, in the famous "9 contra 11" (9 versus 11) match)

• Nacional won both classic played outside Uruguay (the first one in La Plata, Argentina, in 1960, 4 - 0; the second one in La Coruña, Spain, in 2005, 3 - 1)

• Recently, Nacional remained unbeaten for 10 derby (from January 2004 to November 2006, more than 1,030 days with no defeats in the derby)

The International Tours

In 1925, Nacional made a European tour, regarded as the most successful one in the history of football. During that tour, Nacional played against professional teams from Europe (still being an amateur club), winning the vast majority of the games.

In 1927, Nacional made an American tour, with similar results to the ones obtained in the European adventure made two years before.

The International Cups

The glory of Nacional was increased with the winning of several championships played in the River Plate region (the most important tournaments played in America before the Libertadores Cup (Copa Libertadores) was created), specially in the first half of the twentieth century. The historical rivalries with longtime enemy Peñarol and famous Argentinian teams like Boca Juniors, C.A. River Plate, Racing Club, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, among others, collaborated in the building of Nacional's glory with the various championships won in Copa Río de la Plata, de Honor and Competencia.

1971

In 1971 Nacional won its first Libertadores Cup, beating Estudiantes de La Plata from Argentina in the final disputed in Lima, Peru.

In the same year, Nacional won its first World Club title (1971 Intercontinental Cup), in memorable matches against Panathinaikos from Greece, with the fundamental goals of striker Luis Artime. The World, then, was "three-coloured". Panathinaikos played because the holding champion AFC Ajax refused to play against this team due to the violent incidents in such games. Indeed in the Athens leg of the game between Nacional and Panathinaikos, Morales broke both bones of Tomara's leg and was ejected.

The following year, Nacional won its first Interamerican Cup (Copa Interamericana), defeating Cruz Azul from Mexico.

1980

Nacional repeated its achievement in the Libertadores Cup in 1980, beating Internacional de Porto Alegre from Brazil in the final, in an Estadio Centenario packed with Nacional fans.

After becoming South American Champion, Nacional won the World Club Cup for the second time, defeating European champions Nottingham Forest from England 1 - 0, with goal from forward Waldemar Victorino (in the first time that the World Club Cup was played in Japan).

1988

Nacional won its third Libertadores Cup in 1988, beating Argentine side Newell´s Old Boys 3 - 0 in the Estadio Centenario, with goals from Vargas, De León and Ostolaza.

That same year, Nacional would dispute its third Intercontinental Cup (now called FIFA Club World Cup). In a breath-taking final against dutch side PSV Eindhoven coached by Guus Hiddink, Nacional would win in the penalty shootout after the game ended 2-2.

"El Bolso" remains as the only team to win all the Intercontinental finals it participated in.

In the next year, Nacional won its second Interamerican Cup, this time beating Olimpia de Honduras.

In 1989, Nacional won the South American Cup Winner's Cup (Recopa Sudamericana), defeating Racing Club de Avellaneda from Argentina.

Current squad

Current squad for Club Nacional de Football as of September 11, 2010 (edit)
Sources: BDFA

No. Position Player 1  URU GK Leonardo Burián 2  URU DF Alejandro Lembo (captain) 3  URU DF Ernesto Goñi 4  URU DF Christian Núñez 5  URU MF Raúl Ferro 6  ESP DF Mariano Pernía 7  URU FW Martín Cauteruccio 8  URU MF Matías Cabrera 10  ARG MF Marcelo Gallardo 11  URU MF Horacio Peralta 12  URU GK Nicola Pérez 14  URU MF Robert Mario Flores 17  URU MF Maximiliano Calzada

No. Position Player 18  URU DF Gonzalo Godoy 19  URU DF Sebastián Coates 20  URU FW Santiago García 22  URU MF Mauricio Pereyra 23  URU MF Facundo Píriz 25  URU GK Rodrigo Muñoz -  URU MF Santiago Romero -  URU FW Sergio Cortelezzi -  ARG DF Leandro Aguirre -  URU MF Marcelo Palau

Manager: Juan Ramon Carrasco

Notable players

Notable coaches

All the Presidents

Other sports

Basketball

Nacional participates in the tournaments organised by the Uruguayan basketball federation Federación Uruguaya de Basketball (known as FUBB) since 1932. The club won the championships of 1935 and 1937. Nowadays, Nacional takes part in the Torneo Metropolitano, Uruguayan basketball second division.

Cycling

Nacional participates in the championships organised by the Uruguayan Cycling Federation Federación Ciclista del Uruguay since its beginnings. The club won the most important competitions in several occasions: Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay and Rutas de América, individually and by teams. Nowadays, Nacional cycling team has the presence of Milton Wynants, winner of a silver medal for Uruguay in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Tennis

Nacional has a lot of tennis courts in Parque Central, behind the stand Talud Abdón Porte, in which several stages of the tournaments organised in Uruguay are disputed. In 2005, the club had the honour of holding various games played by Uruguay in the American Zone II of Davis Cup.

Volleyball

Nacional has its volleyball court in Parque Central, in the gymnasium of Jaime Cibils street. In that stadium, the club plays its home games of the championships organised by the Uruguayan volleyball federation Federación Uruguaya de Vóleibol in every category.

Women's football

Nacional was part of the tournaments organised by the Department of Femenine Football of the Uruguayan Football Association, since its establishment in 1996. The club won various league titles and its main rival in Uruguay was Rampla Juniors. Internationally, Nacional played in various South American championships. The club dissaffiliated in 2005 and returned to the league in 2009 ending third in the annual standings.

Futsal

Nacional participates in the championships organised by de Futsal Delegated Commission of the Uruguayan Football Association. The club won the Uruguayan league title in various occasions and is nowadays the Uruguayan champion. Internationally, Nacionals main achievement is the second place in the South American Futsal Cup Copa Libertadores de América de Futsal in 2003.

Fútbol de salón Afiliado a FIFUSA

• Campeonato Metropolitano: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
• Campeonato Nacional de Clubes Campeones: 1993
• Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones: 1996

Futsal afiliado a la AUF

• Campeonato Uruguayo: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008
• Copa de Honor: 2006
• Campeonato Apertura: 2005, 2008
• Campeonato Clausura: 2002
• Campeonato Metropolitano: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 y 2009
• Campeón Sudamericano de Clubes Zona Sur: 2003
• Vice - Campeón Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones: 2003

• Campeonato Uruguayo Sub 20: 2001, 2006, 2007
• Campeonato Uruguayo Sub 15: 2007

Miscellaneous

The first "hincha" was a Nacional fan

The Spanish word to describe football fans is "hincha".

This worldwide used expression was invented by Nacional fans.

In fact, an employee of Nacional of the early 1900s, called Prudencio Miguel Reyes, was famous for his continuous support to the team. The other fans that attended the games started to name him after one of his duties: pumping air to the balls (in Spanish: "inflar" the balls, in Uruguay: "hinchar" the balls). Within a few games, Reyes was known as the "hincha" of Nacional. This is the origin of a word that is widely used between Spanish speakers throughout the planet. "Hinchada". http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinchada.  "El incierto origen de las palabras". http://www.libertaddigital.com/index.php?action=desaopi&cpn=36985. 

References

External links

• Club Nacional de Football official page
• Fans page
• Club Nacional de Football unofficial page
• Fans page
• Videoblog - Fans of Nacional